By SCM Staff | Friday, Sept 26, 2025
RAFAH, Gaza – Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, on Friday visited forces operating in the southern Gaza Strip, delivering a clear directive to commanders on the ground: “You must persevere and eliminate the last pockets of resistance in Rafah.”
The General Staff head, who was accompanied by the acting head of the Shin Bet and senior military officers, emphasized that while the IDF continues to operate across the Middle East to remove threats, the primary concentration of the military and the Shin Bet remains in the Gaza Strip.
Addressing troops from reserve brigades and the Officer Training School, Zamir reaffirmed the IDF’s dual objectives in the campaign, which is nearing its second year.
”We are doing everything to return the hostages quickly and to defeat Hamas,” Zamir stated, noting the approaching High Holy Days. “The people of Israel observed their second Rosh Hashanah during this war; we are approaching Yom Kippur, and soon we will mark two years of the war.”
Zamir provided an updated assessment of the military’s success, stating that the IDF has “severely damaged Hamas’ capabilities” and “collapsed its governing capacity.” He acknowledged that the enemy is now operating in “guerrilla-like patterns,” underscoring the shift in tactics required by Israeli forces.
The inspection tour included the acting head of the Shin Bet, the Commander of the Southern Command, MG Yaniv Asur, the Commander of the Gaza Division, BG Barak Hiram, and other top operational commanders.
During his visit, the Chief of the General Staff also addressed a recent “painful incident” in which a company commander and three soldiers from the Officer Training School fell last week.
”Regarding the operational incident… lessons must be drawn from the painful event. It must be investigated and the necessary lessons extracted,” he said. Zamir stressed the paramount importance of force protection as a principle of war, adding, “The personal example of the commanders at the Officer Training School is more important now than ever.”
He reserved high praise for the reserve brigades, calling them “among the finest of the people of Israel” for their high morale and motivation despite the war’s difficulties. Looking ahead, Zamir committed to ensuring the sustainability of the effort.
”We are determined to dismantle Hamas, we will seek to reduce the burden on the reserves, to rotate and refresh forces and to increase the pressure on the enemy,” he stated.
The Chief of Staff concluded by highlighting the close coordination between Israel’s security bodies: “We operate in close, high-quality cooperation with the Shin Bet. The integration between the bodies will continue and intensify and will continue to bring operational achievements that strengthen security.”
